Pneumatic sewage ejector



Oct. 30,- 1962 F. R. PORTER PNEUMATIC SEWAGE EJECTOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 15, 1958 INVENTOR.

WWW/W Oct. 30, 1962 F. R. PORTER 3,060,863

PNEUMATIC SEWAGE EJECTOR Fiid Dec. 15, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

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Oct. 30, 1962 F. R. PQRTER 3,060,863

PNEUMATIC SEWAGE EJECTOR Filed Dec; 15, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. 7c 6778/) 2? 7472 07.

United States Patent 3,664,863 PNEUMATIC SEWAGE EJEETQR Frederick R. Porter, Birmingham, h'iieh, assignor to Schrnieg Industries, Inc, Center Line, hdicim, a corporation of Michigan Filed Dec. 15, 195%, Ser. No. 730,61i? 2 (Dianna. ($1. 103234) This invention relates to a pneumatic sewage ejector and has particular reference to an automatic underground sewage ejector station which is adapted to receive sewage by gravity flow and to lift the same to a higher elevation whereby it can continue its flow by gravity through a sewer system.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a new and improved automatic sewage ejector station.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a station in which the working parts thereof are conveniently accessible from an underground atmospheric compartment which forms a part of the station and houses many of the Working parts thereof and the controls therefor.

Other and further objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and may be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, of which there are three sheets, which by way of illustration show preferred embodiments of the invention and what I now consider to be the best mode of applying the principles thereof. Other embodiments of the invention may be used without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical sectional view of a sewage ejector station embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a horizontal sectional view on a reduced scale, taken generally along the line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view on a reduced scale, taken generally at right angles to FIGURE 1 FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a modified form of the invention;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a further modification of the invention; and

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of the apparatus illustrated in FIGURE 5.

As illustrated in FIGURES l, 2 and 3, a sewage ejector station embodying my invention comprises in general a steel casing or housing 10 having a hinged access cover 12, the housing 10 being mounted upon a steel tank 14 which in turn is mounted upon a pad or base 16. The tank 14 is provided with an annular steel partition 18 which divides the tank into a sewage receiver 26 and an annular compressed air chamber 22 which surrounds the receiver 20. The upper end of the casing 11 includes a neck 24 forming an access opening to the interior of the housing 10, and such access opening is normally closed by the cover 12. A stainless steel reflector 13 may be provided on the outside of the cover.

The housing 10, the tank 14, and the base 16 are adapted to be fabricated as a unit and installed underground with the neck 24 projecting slightly above the grade. The neck is provided with a grilled opening 26 whereby the interior of the casing 10 which forms a compartment is open at all times to the atmosphere. A horizontally disposed sewage conducting conduit 28 extends through and across the compartment provided by the housing 10 just above the tank 14. One end Bit of the conduit 28 forms an inlet adapted for connection with a sewage line 32, and the other end 34 of the conduit 28 forms an outlet adapted for connection with a sewage line 36 at an elevation above the line 32. The conduit 28 includes a gate valve 38 which is adapted to be opened and "ice closed by the hand Wheel 40, and a weight loaded swing check valve 42 which is adapted to permit the gravity flow of sewage through the inlet side of the conduit 28 to a pipe 44 which is connected to the conduit 28 and depends therefrom into the receiver 20 through the cover 46 thereof. The check valve 42 prevents the return flow of sewage through the inlet side of the conduit 28.

The pipe 44 is removably secured to the center section 48 of the conduit 28, which in turn is removably connected to the inlet check valve 42 on one side and the discharge check valve 59 on the other side. The check valve 50 is similar to the valve 42 and is adapted to permit the flow of sewage from the receiver 20 through the pipe 44 and the section 48 and through the discharge side of the conduit 28, but to prevent the return flow of sewage from the discharge side of the conduit 28 into the receiver 20 through the pipe 44 thereof.

A gate valve 5?. controlled by a hand wheel 54 is arranged in the conduit 28 on the discharge side of the check valve 59 and connected to the section 56 which extends through the wall of the housing 10. The section 56 of the conduit 28 and the corresponding section 58 on the inlet side each projects through the wall of the housing It and is sealed thereto so as to prevent leakage of water into the housing 1% around the conduit 28. Since the compartment provided by the housing 10 is open to atmosphere, the seals around the sections 56 and 58 need not be pressure seals.

The pipe 44 extends through the cover 46 of the receiver 2i) and a suitable pressure-tight fit is provided between the outside of the pipe 44 and the opening in the cover 46 through which the pipe projects so as to prevent the dissipation of the pressure inside the receiver 20.

The partition 18 is an annular partition which defines the receiver 20 and separates the same from the annular air passage chamber 22.

To prevent corrosion of the walls defining the receiver 20, I employ a removable corrosion-resistant liner 60 to define the inside and bottom walls of the receiver 20. The liner 60 may be a rigid or non-rigid liner made of a suitable corrosion-resistant material, such as rubber, plastic, plastic impregnated fabric, stainless steel, copper, or concrete, and the upper end of such liner 60 may be provided with an outwardly extending flange 62 which is clamped between the rim 64 of the receiver 20 and the cover 46. The cover '46 is removably secured to the rim 64 by a series of bolts 66 which pass through aligned openings in the cover, the flange 62, and the rim 64, each bolt having a nut secured to its end whereby the cover 46 is arranged in pressure tight relation with the liner 62 and the rim 64. The cover 46 in addition is provided with a removable section 68 which when removed provides access to the receiver 20 through an inspection manhole without removal of the cover 46'.

As shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, the conduit 28 is diametrically disposed across the lower end of the atmospheric compartment. Removable grates 70 and 72 are disposed in the bottom of the atmospheric compartment just above the tank 14 so as to provide a floor in the compartment upon which a Workman can stand while checking or servicing the ejector. A ladder 74, suitably mounted on the wall of the housing 10 and which extends up into the neck 24, may be provided to enable a workman to get in and out of the housing 10.

An air duct 76 extends up into the neck 24 and at its upper end is open to atmosphere outside of the housing 16, while the lower end of such duct opens into the compartment of an automatic air circulating and dehumidifying unit 78 which draws atmosphere down through the duct 76, dehumidifies such atmosphere, and discharges the dehumidified air into the compartment within the hous-.

In addition the grilled opening 26 opens into a hood 84 open at its bottom so that air can freely enter the compartment inside of the housing at all times., The air circulating and conditioning unit 78 may be controlled so that it operates at only such time as a workman is within the compartment, or it may be automatically controlled so as to maintain predetermined humidity conditions within the compartment inside of the housing 10.

As shown in FIGURE 2, the compressed air chamber is provided with a removable access cover 86 for closing an inspection manhole. This cover 86, like the covers 46 and 68, is directly accessible from the compartment inside the housing 10 once the gratings 70 and 72 have been removed. 7

One or more air compressors 88, each driven by an electric motor 90, are arranged within the atmospheric compartment and are connected to the air pressure chamber by a high pressure air line 94 for maintaining the supply of air under pressure within the chamber 22. The air compressors 88 may be provided with conventional controls so that they will operate so as to maintain a predetermined air pressure in the chamber 22.

An air pressure line 95, one end of which extends into and opens into the chamber 22, at its other end is connected to a conventional three-way air 'valve which is adapted in one position of the valve to establish communication with an air line 98 connected at one end to the valve 96 and at the other end to the receiver 20'. Thus in one position of the valve, air under pressure can flow from the chamber 22 to the receiver 20 through the line.

95, the valve 96, and the line 98, thus raising the pressure in the receiver 20 so as to efiect the discharge therefrom of sewage through the pipe 44 and the discharge side of the conduit 28. In another position of the valve 96', the communication between the lines 95 and 98 is shut off and instead the line 98 is put in communication with a line 4 from when the receiver is full. The air compressors 88 are operated automatically so as to maintain a desired pressure within the chamber 22.

As shown in FIGURE 3, an air pressure line 110 is connected at one end to the air chamber 22 and at its other end to a discharge fitting 112 mounted on the out side of the neck 24. A hand-operated valve '114 nor mally closes the line 110. An ejector. 116 is arranged 100 which at its upper end is vented at atmosphere for V the purpose of dissipating the pressure in the receiver 20. The valve 96 may be a solenoid operated valve which is controlled by the high and low level electrodes 102 and 104 which depend from the cover into the receiver 20. When the sewage rises in the receiver 20 so as to contact the short electrode 102, the electric circuit controlling the solenoid 96 will energize the same so as to shut off the communication between the lines 98 and 100 and to open the communication between the lines 95 and 98, thereby admitting air under pressure to the upper end of the receiver 20. This air will be under sulficient pressure so as to force sewage in the receiver 20 out through the pipe 44 and the discharge side of the conduit 28 and to raise such sewage to the level of the sewage line 36 which is connected to the discharge side of the ejector. When the level of the sewage in the receiver 20 subsides below the long electrode 104, the solenoid valve 96 is energized so as to shut ofi the communication between the lines 95 and 98 and to establish communication between the lines 98 and 100, thereby porting the receiver 20 to atmosphere and permitting the flow of sewage under gravity from the intake side of the ejector into the receiver 20.

The electrodes 102 and 104- form part of a conventional liquid level control for the solenoid operated valve 96. Any other suitable form of liquid level control may be employed for controlling the energization of the solenoid of the valve 96 so as to alternately connect the receiver 20' to the air chamber 22 and to atmosphere so as to permit the gravity flow of sewage into the re ceiver 20 and to effect the discharge of sewage therein the line and has a flexible hose 118 connected thereto so that when the valve 114 is open the air under pressure escaping through the pipe 110 will create suf ficient suction in the house 118 to effect the flow of liquid through the hose 118 into the ejector 116 for dis charge through the pipe 110. The free end of the hose may be employed for removing condensation which has accumulated in the bottom of the atmospheric compart ment provided inside the housing 10. One or more anodes 120 may be connected by wires 122 to lugs 124 on the exterior of the housing 10 so as to minimize the corrosion of the steel housing 10 by electrolytic action, the anodes 120 being adapted to be buried in the earth surrounding the housing 10.

A sump pump 126 may be mounted in the bottom of the atmospheric compartment and have its intake connected to the lowermost portion of such compartment and its discharge connected to the outside of the housing 10 above the grate for periodically discharging the accumulation of condensate from within the housing 10, including that from the dehumidifying unit 78. A thermostatically controlled electric resistance heater 128 may be suitably mounted within the atmospheric compartment for heating the same, and the controls for the compressors, the air circulating and dehumidifying unit 78, and the sump pump 126 may be mounted on a control panel housed within a cabinet 130'.

In the modification illustrated in FIGURE 4 the construction is essentially the same as'that previously de scribed, except that the receiver 20 is not provided with a removable corrosion resistant lining 60, as in FIG- URE 1. In the case of FIGURE 4, the steel tank 114 is provided with an annular air chamber 122 surrounding the receiver 20 and separated therefrom by an annular steel wall 121. Since the removable liner 60 is omitted, the removable cover 46may be omitted. How ever, the receiver 20 in such case would be provided with an inspection manhole closed by a removable closure like that illustrated at 68 in FIGURE 2. Similarly, the air chamber 122 may be provided with an inspection manhole closed by a removable closure such as that shown at 86 in FIGURES 2 and 3. Except in the particulars noted, the construction and opeartion of the modification illustrated in FIGURE 4 are the same as those previously described.

In the modification of FIGURES 5 and 6, the tank 214 is provided with an annular air chamber 222 and the remainder of the tank is divided into two receivers 220 and 221 formed by. an annular partition 218 and a transverse partition 224 which divide the space inside of the annular partition into the two chambers 220 and 221. As in the case of the previous embodiments, each of the receivers 220 and 221 is provided with a pipe 244 through which sewage flows by gravity into the receiver and through which sewage is ejected from the receiver by air pressure in accordance with the arrangement disclosed in the previous modifications.

Since the modification of FIGURES 5 and 6 includes two receivers, the sewage conducting conduit is divided into two parallel branches 230 and 232, each of which includes the same elements and arrangement as illustrated in FIGURE 1. Similarly, the receivers 220 and 221 are alternately supplied with air and ported to atmosphere, except that preferably the arrangement is such that one of the receivers 220, 221 is ported to atmosphere modification disclosed in FIGURES 5 and 6 are the same as those of FIGURES 1 to 4 inclusive.

While I have illustrated and described preferred embodiments of my invention, it is understood that these are capable of modification, and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth but desire to avail myself of such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A pneumatic sewage ejector comprising a sheet metal tank providing a pneumatic displacement sewage receiver and a compressed air storage chamber disposed one around the other, with a common wall therebetween, a sheet metal housing open to atmosphere and mounted on said tank and forming an atmospheric compartment above said receiver and air chamber, said receiver having a removable access cover exposed to said atmospheric compartment and forming a common separating wall of said receiver and atmospheric compartment, a horizontally disposed sewage conducting conduit extending through said atmospheric compartment and the housing wall and carried by the latter, one end of said conduit forming a sewage inlet and the other end of said conduit forming a sewage outlet, a pipe connected to said conduit and depending into said receiver so that sewage entering such conduit through the inlet thereof will flow through said pipe into said receiver, a check valve between said pipe and the inlet to said conduit to prevent return How of sewage from said receiver through said inlet, means in and mounted on the housing wall of said atmospheric compartment for supplying compressed air to said compressed air chamber for storage therein, a conduit having a control valve therein through which compressed air is supplied from said compressed air chamber to said receiver for raising the pressure therein so as to efiect the discharge of sewage therein through said pipe and conduit, and a valve controlled conduit for venting said receiver to atmosphere so as to permit the gravity flow of sewage into said receiver through said conduit and pipe, said housing having an upwardly projecting tube of reduced diameter forming an access to said atmospheric compartment, said tank and housing and parts being integrated so as to form a prefabricated unit.

2. An ejector according to claim 1 wherein said receiver is laterally surrounded by said compressed air chamber.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,045,157 Long Nov. 26, 1912 1,263,287 Ragains Apr. 16, 1918 1,376,188 Cooke Apr. 26, 1921 1,642,990 Crockett Sept. 20, 1927 2,275,346 Bryan Mar. 3, 1942 2,300,039 Yeomans et a1 Oct. 27, 1942 2,339,487 King Jan. 18, 1944 2,353,038 Jackson July 4, 1944 2,383,834 Yeomans Aug. 28, 1945 2,385,905 Yeomans Oct. 2, 1945 2,394,169 Gray et a1 Feb. 5, 1946 2,656,794 Williamson Oct. 27, 1953 2,669,941 Staflord Feb. 23, 1954 2,817,299 Weis Dec. 24, 1957 

